Gunmen who kidnapped young Chinese female tourist Gao Huayuan, have demanded a 36.3 million ringgit (HK$87.2 million) ransom, a Malaysian official said.
Malaysian Home Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said negotiators had been sent to deal with the demand through an intermediary, the New Straits Times reported.
The woman from Shanghai was taken at gunpoint, along with a Filipino worker, from the Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna, in the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Six gunmen are suspected to have entered the resort.
The resort says it offers diving instruction and ``a dedicated instructor'' is available for "our Chinese customers.''
It is touted as the "ideal choice not only for families and groups, but also for couples, backpackers and lone travellers.''